DII-2021 Conference 6th -7th October 2021

Residential flooding in Zambia from Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis perspective: A
preliminary case study for Chawama Constituency floods in Lusaka City

Lameck Phiri a*
a
Civil Engineering and Construction Department, CBU Box 21692, Kitwe
* Corresponding author Email address: lamphiri@gmail.com

Abstract
Flood analysis yields information that can be used to control floods. This paper gives a preliminary
analysis of floods in Chawama Constituency using remotely sensed data. The Constituency which is
located in Lusaka, the Capital City of Zambia, has been experiencing perennial flooding and this year
the floods were devastating. The main objective of the study was to estimate the spatial coverage of
inundated area using remotely sensed data and thereafter propose flood control measures.

Flood prone area was delineated and quantified by processing the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography
Mission (SRTM) DEM and applying the depth fitting method. The portion of the Chawama
Constituency that floods is located in the northern part of the constituency. This area was found to be
located within the Upper Chunga Catchment - the catchment which conveys surface water from
south-east to north-west part of Lusaka City. However, not all the portion of Chawama Constituency
located within the Upper Chunga Catchment is flood prone. Depth fitting analysis revealed that the
SRTM DEM elevation of 1280m delineates the area that is susceptible to adverse flooding. The flood
prone area was found to cover over 392 hectares, which is about 50% of the Constituency area that is
dissected by Upper Chunga Catchment. It was noted that roads and rail-line have modified natural
surface water flow and to some extent contributed immensely to obstruction of surface runoff. In a
similar vein houses, wall fences and paved surfaces have adversely affected surface runoff within the
constituency.

Inspection of the flood map revealed that diverting flood water into Ngwerere Catchment, a catchment
adjacent to Upper Chunga Catchment, can lessen the gravity of the floods in Chawama Constituency.
As the area is densely populated, diversion of flood water by pressurized pipeline looks realistic for
managing flood waters in the project area.

Key words: Chawama Constituency, Flood mapping. Lusaka City, Natural surface water flow,
Surface runoff, Upper Chunga Catchment

Compiled by: lamphiri@gmail.com

Last Printed on: Thursday, September 02, 2021
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